What is MIME type "video/x-sgi-movie"?

A MIME type is a string that tells browsers and other tools how to handle a particular kind of file.

The MIME type video/x-sgi-movie is linked to video files created by Silicon Graphics, Inc. These files use a legacy movie format tailored for SGI workstations.

This format holds a sequence of images for animations and short video clips. It was designed to play back multimedia content on specialized hardware.

Main Use: Playback of computer-generated movies and animations.
Key Fact: The format is native to SGI systems and may need conversion for modern players.
Other Uses: It has been used in technical demos, early computer graphics projects, and multimedia presentations.

Files with this MIME type include formats like MOVIE, SGI, and MV.

For more detailed technical information on MIME types, you may visit the IANA Media Types page.

Associated file extensions

.movie, .sgi, .mv

Usage Examples

HTTP Header

When serving content with this MIME type, set the Content-Type header:


    Content-Type: video/x-sgi-movie

HTML

In HTML, you can specify the MIME type in various elements:


    <a href="file.dat" type="video/x-sgi-movie">Download file</a>

Server-side (Node.js)

Setting the Content-Type header in Node.js:


    const http = require('http');    
    
    http.createServer((req, res) => {    
      res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'video/x-sgi-movie');    
      res.end('Content here');    
    }).listen(3000);

Associated file extensions

.movie, .sgi, .mv

FAQs

How do I open a video/x-sgi-movie file on Windows or Mac?

You need a multi-format media player like VLC media player or MPlayer, as default system players (like Windows Media Player or QuickTime) generally do not support this legacy SGI format. Alternatively, you can convert the file to a modern format using a tool like FFmpeg.

Can I use video/x-sgi-movie in an HTML5 video tag?

No, modern web browsers do not natively support the SGI movie format. To display these videos on a web page, you must convert them to standard web-compatible types like video/mp4 or video/webm.

How do I configure Apache to serve .movie files correctly?

You can enable support by adding the MIME type definition to your .htaccess file or server configuration. Add the line: AddType video/x-sgi-movie .movie .mv. This ensures the server sends the correct Content-Type header to the client.

What does the 'x-' prefix mean in video/x-sgi-movie?

The x- prefix indicates that this is a non-standard or proprietary MIME type defined by Silicon Graphics (SGI), rather than a standard type registered with IANA. While common in the era of SGI workstations, it is considered a legacy identifier today.

How can I convert an SGI movie to MP4?

The command-line tool FFmpeg is the most reliable way to convert these legacy files. You can typically use the command ffmpeg -i filename.movie output.mp4 to transcode the video stream into a format compatible with modern devices.

Is the .sgi extension always a video file?

Not always; the .sgi extension is more commonly associated with the Silicon Graphics Image format (image/sgi). However, the video/x-sgi-movie type is specifically used when the file contains a sequence of images or animation data (often using extensions like .movie or .mv).

How do I fix Nginx sending the wrong MIME type for .mv files?

Open your mime.types file (usually located in /etc/nginx/) and ensure the following line exists: video/x-sgi-movie movie mv;. After saving the file, restart Nginx using sudo systemctl restart nginx to apply the changes.

General FAQ

What is a MIME type?

A MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) type is a standard that indicates the nature and format of a document, file, or assortment of bytes. MIME types are defined and standardized in IETF's RFC 6838.

MIME types are important because they help browsers and servers understand how to process a file. When a browser receives a file from a server, it uses the MIME type to determine how to display or handle the content, whether it's an image to display, a PDF to open in a viewer, or a video to play.

MIME types consist of a type and a subtype, separated by a slash (e.g., text/html, image/jpeg, application/pdf). Some MIME types also include optional parameters.

How do I find the MIME type for a file?

You can check the file extension or use a file identification tool such as file --mime-type on the command line. Many programming languages also provide libraries to detect MIME types.

Why are multiple MIME types listed for one extension?

Different applications and historical conventions may use alternative MIME identifiers for the same kind of file. Showing them all helps ensure compatibility across systems.